THE BIG DEBATE BURSTS BACK - WITH REDI TLHABI

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Comedian
and The Daily Showhost Trevor Noah is reteaming
with M-Net (DStv 101) and will be doing a 13-part TV series set for broadcast
in 2018, currently with the working title Trevor Noah Presents ...in
which he will showcase upcoming young comedians in South Africa.

Back
in South Africa to do a new stand-up show in Johannesburg and Durban during his
holiday, Trevor Noah slammed criticism that tickets are too expensive, saying that
it's time that South African talent and performers start valuing their work in
the way that overseas artists are doing.

Trevor Noah, currently the
host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central (DStv 122) made the
announcement about his new comedy show partnership at a M-Net press conference
on Thursday morning.

Trevor Noah who in the past
credited M-Net as the first South African broadcaster that was willing to give
him a TV show, Tonight with Trevor Noah that ran from 2010 on
M-Net and Mzansi Magic, reiterated on Thursday that M-Net was a "big
stepping stone" to getting his The Daily Show gig.

"I've had a great
partnership with M-Net for many years now, M-Net was first to give me a shot to
have my own TV show where I was involved in the creation of the show,"
said Trevor Noah.

"I've always wanted to
give young comedians the opportunity to connect with their audience - young
comedians doing comedy in different languages," he said about his plans
for Trevor Noah Presents...

"In the series I will
be working with M-Net, me being in South Africa, gathering the finest comedians
from across the country, and showcasing them to viewers in South Africa and
saying 'hey, these are the comedians who will make you laugh' for every walk of
life, every single race, every single language".

"I will be hosting the
episodes, showcasing some of the comedians who I think deserve to be out
there".

'M-Net provides a
platform to launch incredible careers'

"We've always been
passionate about showcasing local talent," said Yolisa Phahle, M-Net
CEO, "not just because audiences love it, but also because at M-Net we
firmly believe in giving ambitious, talented and creative people a platform on
which they can hone their skills."

"Over the years
M-Net's channels have provided a platform for many great South Africans who –
through their own sheer hard work – have gone on to launch incredible
careers."

"If we are going to
grow this industry we have to compete with the biggest and the best. And that
is actually what Trevor did."

"He left at a time when his star was rising very,
very fast. He was a big name. But he realised there was a whole world out there
and actually the best of South African talent can compete with the best of the
world," said Yolisa Phahle.

'Take the no's as an
opportunity to find the yes'es'

TVwithThinus asked Trevor Noah
what his advice is for up-and-coming young South Africans, looking to him,
dreaming of emulating him and of having a career in talk or stand-up and
working in television.

"It's about
determination," said Trevor Noah. "It's going where the work leads
you. And taking the no's as an opportunity to find the yes'es."

"When I worked in
South Africa, my dream was never to leave South Africa. That was never my
dream. I just went where the work led me. I love doing shows in South Africa as
much as I love doing shows out there in the world."

"I encourage people in
South Africa to create excellence here. We have opportunities here that you
don't have in the rest of the world. We have a shortage of local productions.
We have a shortage of local talent because so many people think we have to turn
elsewhere."

"The truth is we can
create it here. Many movies are coming to South Africa. So we know we have the
technical ability. South African actors are appearing in movies and TV shows
overseas, so we know we have the talent over here."

"What we have to build
on is the personal and physical infrastructure and working on our excellence.
Just because it's South African doesn't mean it has to be inferior. For anyone
I would say be excellent here."

"Don't wait for
overseas. Just work on making the best thing possible in your country and you
will find overseas will come knocking."

The blessing that South
Africans take for granted

"One thing in America
like South Africa, is we have free speech over there," said Trevor Noah,
when asked if he isn't scared of American president Donald Trump.

"So what's great is
working in an environment where you can speak your mind. And I think that's a
blessing that South Africans take for granted."

"I know from just my
parents' generations – 20 years ago you couldn't say certain things. We live in
a country where we take for granted the leeway we have with our arts and our
press."

"I know people fight about that and go 'we don't have the free-est press but
our press freedom is pretty high up there in the world."

High ticket prices
because ...

After a journalist
criticised Trevor Noah over how seemingly expensive the ticket prices for his
latest stand-up shows are, he said he's actually using his holiday to do them
which is why he couldn't fit Cape Town in, and "wanted to do a great show
that looks good, sounds good, is good".

"I want to put on the
show that people want me to put on. It is expensive? Definitely? Would I do it
again? Probably not."

"In South Africa for a
long time we've had that attitude that 'oh these tickets are expensive for a
South African audience’. And yet when an international artist comes here I
don't see anyone complaining when its R4000, R5000 a ticket."

"I've worked very hard
to keep my costs as low as possible. But at the same time I don't want to fall
into the same trap as many South Africans where you go: I will keep the price
cheap, and you attend, and go: 'Yes I can see the price was cheap here' and
that this wasn't on the standard of an international show."

"If I bring you a
show, I have to bring it to you on a standard that I bring to all of my shows
around the world," said Trevor.

"As a South African
and as a performer I must say that we have to value our own. If we pay for our
own, our own are more likely to stay here because they feel appreciated. We've
got to build our industries here."

"I'm not just doing
Trevor Noah. When I do Trevor Noah I hire people here, I'm hiring South African
production companies, I'm hiring South African crews specifically, I'm hiring
South African people managing the venue, I'm hiring South African
comedians."

"So this isn't a show
of me, this is a show of us. And I'm proud that people are willing to come and
to be a part of that."

About Me

is an independent TV critic, writer and journalist in South Africa as well as a pop culture and media expert.
He writes breaking news about TV for daily and weekly leading publications in the country and authors trend and analysis pieces about the TV business.In addition he writes regular weekly and monthly TV columns. He has and continues to write extensively about TV - chronicling what's on it and happening behind the scenes.